Freshfields joins up with Bruckhaus for European expansionCity giant Freshfields is to go ahead with its merger with German firm Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Lber.Freshfields partners this week voted 'yes' to a 1 August merger with full economic integration from day one.

Bruckhaus partners approved the deal in a vote last Friday.

The merged firm will be named Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer - recognising Freshfields' earlier merger with Deringer - and will have 30 offices in 90 countries, with more than 1,850 lawyers.Freshfields' senior partner Anthony Salz and Hamburg-based Bruckhaus partner Christian Wilde will be senior partners of the merged firm.It will have two managing partners - Frankfurt-based Bruckhaus partner Konstantin Mettenheimer and Cologne-based Freshfields Deringer partner Ludwig Leyendecker.

Freshfields' chief executive Alan Peck will continue in that role.Mr Salz said: 'Germany is the pre-eminent economy in Europe and vital to clients.

This is a unique opportunity to build on the success of our merger with Deringer.'Anne Mizzi